Not a Very TAKS-ing Day, or "Yay, I Got My Weekend After All"

It's a Tuesday, and I'm posting shortly after noon. How in the world did that happen? Well, my butt-ugly schedule ran headlong against the TAKS test...and we both won.

If you're not from Texas, the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) is one of those odious state tests that they make people suffer through every year instead of actually letting the teachers teach their respective subjects. If I were in charge, I certainly wouldn't spend the taxpayers' money that way (I'd gut the administration and pay teachers more instead), but it's here until someone is brave enough to challenge it, and now the stakes are higher: you have to pass several extra portions of it in order to graduate. (Incidentally, I read that there are still seniors taking the TAKS' predecessor, the TAAS, this week--a test they were supposed to pass as sophomores to graduate this spring. Youch.)

At any rate, they always schedule optimistically, saying that the classes will resume by lunchtime...and then it never actually happens. I knew I had the morning off, but I had to be nearby just in case they actually did get done on time. I got seven whole hours of sleep last night (yay), met up with Halfling and Fizban for a quick, cheap breakfast, ran some errands and then found out that classes were delayed...and delayed...and delayed, until finally it only made sense to tank the day. My wallet hurts a tiny bit from that, but the rest of me feels just great. :-D In the meantime, I think I'll watch some TV before combo, since the VCR spit the tape out last night. I didn't really "lose" my weekend after all; I just swapped Sunday for today.